A Week and a Day Left

Last night for dinner I just had some brocoli, string beans, and carrots, all raw, dipped in humus, and a smoothie. I was still tired from the gym and fell asleep immediately.

My daily diet is boring and predictable, and I blame convenience - salad bar at work, and Haru across the street. I am writing a blog called my vegan quest, and what little I write about food is the same thing over and over. What has helped me stay true to veganism, and nutrient dense eating for these last 6 months is that I truly viewed this as a quest, a crusade, a challenge to be met. And just like football, or baseball, or rugby practice which took up most of my childhood through college years, I just did it whether I wanted to or not. When I spent my freshman year of college at a military university I was forced to eat the same thing for breakfast almost every day - cold pancakes. I guess it is a mind set I settle into. There has been scores of times when the last thing I wanted to do was to pull on my uniform and go practice - either I was too sore, or too tired, or just wanted to hang out with some other friends sucking down a 7-11 slurpee by the pool in the middle of August -- but I did it 'cause I had to. Not because I have some great discipline, not even close, rather, it was a commitment to my team, and letting them down is much worse than letting yourself down. That is why I was so vocal about this quest - my family, friends, acquaintances, and even complete strangers would be rooting for me, and I would feel like a jackass if I let anyone down.

Honestly, I have probably thought about, and had memory flashes of my experiences playing football and my days at military school more in these past 6 months than in the past 20 years. It is the mindset that kept me going in those endeavors when I was at my most physically fit that I called upon, in the recesses of my mind, to move forward through this vegan quest.

I was thinking about practice today when I went to the gym for the fourth day a row. The last time I did that I was in High School during football hell week. And I felt the same too! My body was constantly achy and sore - not painful at all, just achy because my muscles are not used to so much disruption.

After work I walked across the street to meet friends at ESPN Zone to watch some of the NFL Draft. The young men drafted to play pro football who were defensive or offensive linemen were all about the same size as I was when I started this quest, 6'4," 305 lbs. However, those guys were built of muscle, and I was constructed of blubber...but more to muscle now, and melting away the fat. I am seeing more definition in my upper body. But my mid-section, my stomach, is still a spare tire.

For dinner I dove into some edamame, no salt, and salad, and spinach. The problem with the spinach was that it has ginger sauce on it, tastes good, but probably not the most nutrient dense.

8 Days Left! Sprinting, but feel I can sacrifice even more! Although following Dr. Fuhrman's plan is not a sacrifice, nor cutting out animal products, but what I mean is that I can push myself even more during that hour in the gym, and eat even more precisiously the diet plan of Eat to Live. I am eating incredibly healthy, but a little bit of ginger dressing here, and a cup of miso there, and a little extra humus, all can be pulled back for this final week.  For 6 months I ate well, I ate a nutrient dense diet void of all animal products, and I was never hungry and never felt like I was suffering day in and out. I proved to myself that I can live a normal, healthy, and happy life through a diet that was nutrient dense, and 100% vegan.

However, I am ending this quest with a bang, and that means a little sacrifice, a little more pain, and little more sweat.

Finally, speaking of sweat. For whatever reason I still sweat profusesly even after I shower. It's not hot outside, it's not humid, but my body just perspires for 20 minutes after I leave the gym.

OK, not going to end the blog on sweat, so I will say good night.